A Girl Is More Than A Gun

By Mckenzie Fitz

It is my intent to utilize art as a facilitator for discussion and an instigator for pleasure. My practice is focused on the intersection of femininity and sexuality when interpreting identity. Perhaps I can attribute my passion to being raised without ever receiving “the talk” or because for as long as I can remember I have been fixated on how I am perceived. Therefore my art has become an embodiment of these ruminations. As an interdisciplinary artist, the medium my work takes form in is dependent on what will best translate the concept I am exploring through each piece. For instance, acrylic paints feel as if they flow as smoothly as the soft curves of a body, whereas oils grip the texture of their surface and capture the details in the skin. Digital techniques allow for the possibility of further manipulation while printing practices bring life to a final physical form. My compositions showcase bodies in traditionally femme-presenting methods but use ambiguity, juxtapositions, and positioning to manipulate how the figure is perceived. The praxis of my artistry is to show the feminine form as a subjective being rather than objectified by challenging the gaze. I confront the misconception that femininity is a “woman’s trait” and the preconceived notion that women are only considered feminine in conjunction with their sexuality.